U.S. patent application number 12/754545 was filed with the patent office on 2011-10-06 for modular connector assembly configured with both optical and electrical connections for providing both optical and electrical communications capabilities, and a system that incorporates the assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to Avago Technologies Fiber IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.. Invention is credited to Chung-Yi Su, Tak K. Wang.
Application Number | 20110243567 12/754545 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44709819 |
Filed Date | 2011-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110243567 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Su; Chung-Yi ; et
al. |
October 6, 2011 |
MODULAR CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY CONFIGURED WITH BOTH OPTICAL AND
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS FOR PROVIDING BOTH OPTICAL AND ELECTRICAL
COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES, AND A SYSTEM THAT INCORPORATES THE
ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A modular connector assembly is provided that has both an
electrical coupling configuration that complies with the RJ-45
wiring standard and an optical coupling configuration that provides
the assembly with optical communications capabilities. In addition,
the modular connector assembly is configured to have backwards
compatibility with existing 8P8C jacks and plugs that implement the
RJ-45 wiring standard. Consequently, the modular connector assembly
may be used to communicate optical data signals at higher data
rates (e.g., 10 Gb/s and higher) or to communicate electrical data
signals at lower data rates (e.g., 1 Gb/s).
Inventors: |
Su; Chung-Yi; (Cupertino,
CA) ; Wang; Tak K.; (Cupertino, CA) |
Assignee: |
Avago Technologies Fiber IP
(Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
SINGAPORE
SG
|
Family ID: |
44709819 |
Appl. No.: |
12/754545 |
Filed: |
April 5, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
398/117 ;
385/139; 385/78; 398/116 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 6/241 20130101;
G02B 6/3893 20130101; G02B 6/3817 20130101; G02B 6/42 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
398/117 ; 385/78;
398/116; 385/139 |
International
Class: |
H04B 10/02 20060101
H04B010/02; G02B 6/36 20060101 G02B006/36 |
Claims
1. A jack of a modular connector assembly comprising: a jack
housing comprising: a front portion having a plug opening formed
therein, the plug opening being configured to receive a plug; a
back portion having an optical interface formed therein, the
optical interface being configured to optically couple with one or
more modules that perform optical-to-electrical (OE) conversion and
electrical-to-optical (EO) conversion; and an electrical contact
configuration that complies with a registered jack (RJ)-45 wiring
standard.
2. The jack of claim 1, wherein the modular connector assembly is
an eight position, eight contact (8P8C) modular connector
assembly.
3. The jack of claim 1, wherein the plug opening is configured to
receive all of the following plugs: a standard eight position,
eight contact (8P8C) plug having an electrical contact
configuration that complies with an RJ-45 wiring standard; an
optical plug having only an optical configuration; and a hybrid
plug having both an electrical contact configuration that complies
with an RJ-45 wiring standard and an optical configuration.
4. The jack of claim 1, further comprising an EO conversion module
and an OE conversion module secured to the back portion of the jack
housing.
5. The jack of claim 4, wherein the EO conversion module comprises:
an EO conversion module substrate; a plurality of electrical
contacts disposed on the EO conversion module substrate; at least
one laser diode attached to the EO conversion module substrate; at
least one laser driver IC attached to the EO conversion module
substrate; an optics system; and a ferrule-type element.
6. The jack of claim 5, wherein the OE conversion module comprises:
an OE conversion module substrate; a plurality of electrical
contacts disposed on the OE conversion module substrate; at least
one photodiode attached to the OE conversion module substrate; at
least one receiver IC attached to the OE conversion module
substrate; an optics system; and a ferrule-type element.
7. The jack of claim 1, further comprising a combined EO and OE
(EO/OE) conversion module secured to the back portion of the jack
housing.
8. The jack of claim 7, wherein the EO/OE conversion module
comprises: a substrate; a plurality of electrical contacts disposed
on the substrate; at least one laser diode attached to the
substrate; at least one laser driver IC attached to the substrate;
at least one photodiode attached to the substrate; at least one
receiver IC attached to the substrate; an optics system; and at
least first and second ferrule-type elements.
9. The jack of claim 1, further comprising a first lens element and
a second lens element secured to the back portion of the jack
housing, the back portion of the jack housing being configured to
connect to ends of first and second optical fibers at first and
second locations adjacent the first and second lens elements,
respectively, wherein second ends of the first and second optical
fibers are coupled to EO and OE conversion modules, respectively,
that are external to the jack.
10. The jack of claim 1, wherein the jack has at least first and
second locking features for interlocking the plug with the jack in
one of a first position for electrical Ethernet communications or a
second position for optical communications.
11. A plug of a modular connector assembly comprising: a plug
housing comprising: a front portion having a plurality of
electrical contacts disposed thereon and an optical interface, the
optical interface including at least first and second openings
formed in the front portion, the first opening being configured to
couple with an end of a receive optical fiber, the second opening
being configured to couple with an end of a transmit optical fiber,
the plug housing being configured to mate with a plug opening
formed in a jack; a latch mechanism disposed on an upper side of
the plug housing, the latch mechanism having at least one locking
feature thereon for mating with one or more locking features of the
jack; and an electrical contact configuration that complies with a
registered jack (RJ)-45 wiring standard.
12. The plug of claim 11, wherein the modular connector assembly is
an eight position, eight contact (8P8C) modular connector
assembly.
13. The plug of claim 11, wherein plug is configured to mate with
all of the following plugs: a standard eight position, eight
contact (8P8C) jack having an electrical contact configuration that
complies with an RJ-45 wiring standard; an optical jack having only
an optical configuration; and a hybrid jack having both an
electrical contact configuration that complies with an RJ-45 wiring
standard and an optical configuration.
14. The plug of claim 11, further comprising: first and second
ferrules disposed at least partially inside of the first and second
openings, the first and second ferrules including spring mechanisms
that bias the ferrules forward while allowing the ferrules to move
in axial directions relative to respective longitudinal axes of the
first and second openings, the first and second ferrules having
respective inner diameters sized to receive the ends of the receive
and transmit optical fibers, respectively.
15. The plug of claim 11, wherein the front portion of the plug has
a tiered surface that allows the plug to be mechanically coupled
with a jack in one of a first position for electrical Ethernet
communications or a second position for optical communications,
depending on a distance that the plug is inserted into a jack.
16. A modular connector assembly comprising: a jack comprising: a
jack housing, a front portion of the jack housing having a plug
opening formed therein, the plug opening being configured to
receive a plug, a back portion of the jack housing having an
optical interface formed therein, the optical interface being
configured to optically couple with one or more modules that
perform optical-to-electrical (OE) conversion and
electrical-to-optical (EO) conversion, wherein at least one locking
feature is formed on the jack housing in the plug opening; and an
electrical contact configuration that complies with a registered
jack (RJ)-45 wiring standard; and a plug comprising: a plug
housing, a front portion of the plug housing having a plurality of
electrical contacts disposed thereon and an optical interface, the
optical interface including at least first and second openings
formed in the front portion of the plug housing, the first opening
being configured to couple with an end of a receive optical fiber,
the second opening being configured to couple with an end of a
transmit optical fiber, the plug housing being configured to mate
with the plug opening formed in the jack; wherein a latch mechanism
is disposed on an upper side of the plug housing, the latch
mechanism having at least one locking feature thereon for mating
with said at least one locking feature of the jack housing; and an
electrical contact configuration that complies with the RJ-45
wiring standard.
17. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, wherein the modular
connector assembly is an eight position, eight contact (8P8C)
modular connector assembly.
18. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, further comprising
an EO conversion module and an OE conversion module secured to the
back portion of the jack housing.
19. The modular connector assembly of claim 18, wherein the EO
conversion module comprises: an EO conversion module substrate; a
plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the EO conversion
module substrate; at least one laser diode attached to the EO
conversion module substrate; at least one laser diode driver
integrated circuit (IC) attached to the EO conversion module
substrate; an optics system; and a ferrule-type element.
20. The modular connector of claim 19, wherein the OE conversion
module comprises: an OE conversion module substrate; a plurality of
electrical contacts disposed on the OE conversion module substrate;
at least one photodiode attached to the OE conversion module
substrate; at least one receiver IC attached to the OE conversion
module substrate; an optics system; and a ferrule-type element.
21. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, further comprising
a first lens element and a second lens element secured to the back
portion of the jack housing, the back portion of the jack housing
being configured to connect to ends of first and second optical
fibers at first and second locations adjacent the first and second
lens elements, respectively, wherein second ends of the first and
second optical fibers are coupled to EO and OE conversion modules,
respectively, that are external to the jack.
22. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, wherein the jack
has at least first and second locking features for interlocking
said at least one locking feature of the latch mechanism of the
plug such that the jack and plug interlock with each other in one
of a first position for electrical Ethernet communications and a
second position for optical communications.
23. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, wherein the modular
connector assembly is an eight position, eight contact (8P8C)
modular connector assembly.
24. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, further comprising:
first and second ferrules disposed at least partially inside of the
first and second openings, the first and second ferrules including
spring mechanisms that bias the ferrules forward while allowing the
ferrules to move in axial directions relative to respective
longitudinal axes of the first and second openings, the first and
second ferrules having respective inner diameters sized to receive
the ends of the receive and transmit optical fibers,
respectively.
25. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, wherein the front
portion of the plug has a tiered surface that allows the plug to be
mechanically coupled with the jack in one of a first position for
electrical Ethernet communications or a second position for optical
communications, depending on a distance that the plug is inserted
into a jack.
26. The modular connector assembly of claim 16, further comprising:
a hybrid cable having a first end and a second end, the first end
of the hybrid cable being secured to a back portion of the plug
housing, the hybrid cable having a plurality of electrical
conductors and at least said transmit and receive optical fibers,
wherein first ends of the electrical conductors are in contact with
respective electrical contacts disposed on the front portion of the
plug housing.
27. The plug of claim 16, wherein said plurality of electrical
conductors include at least eight electrical conductors.
28. A system capable of performing optical communications or
electrical communications over a communications link, the system
comprising: at a proximal end of the communications link, a system
circuit board having a plurality of electrical contacts thereon and
a plurality of electrically conductive traces routed therethrough;
at least a first controller integrated circuit (IC) mounted on a
surface of the system circuit board, the first controller IC being
configured to auto-negotiate with one or more controller ICs
located at one or more distal ends of the communications link to
determine whether an optical mode of communications or an
electrical mode of communications is to be performed over the
communications link; a modular connector assembly mounted on a
surface of the system circuit board, the modular connector assembly
comprising: a jack having both electrical and optical
communications configurations; and a plug configured to be
removably connected to the jack, the plug having both optical and
electrical communications configurations.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the jack comprises: a jack
housing, a front portion of the jack housing having a plug opening
formed therein, the plug opening being configured to receive a
plug, a back portion of the jack housing having an optical
interface formed therein, the optical interface being configured to
optically couple with one or more modules that perform
optical-to-electrical (OE) conversion and electrical-to-optical
(EO) conversion, wherein at least one locking feature is formed on
the jack housing in the plug opening; and an electrical contact
configuration that complies with a registered jack (RJ)-45 wiring
standard.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the plug further comprises: a
plug housing, a front portion of the plug housing having a
plurality of electrical contacts disposed thereon and an optical
interface, the optical interface including at least first and
second openings formed in the front portion of the plug housing,
the first opening being configured to couple with an end of a
receive optical fiber, the second opening being configured to
couple with an end of a transmit optical fiber, the plug housing
being configured to mate with the plug opening formed in the jack;,
wherein a latch mechanism is disposed on an upper side of the plug
housing, the latch mechanism having at least one locking feature
thereon for mating with said at least one locking feature of the
jack housing; and an electrical contact configuration that complies
with the RJ-45 wiring standard.
31. The modular connector assembly of claim 28, further comprising:
a hybrid cable having a first end and a second end, the first end
of the hybrid cable being secured to a back portion of the plug
housing, the hybrid cable having a plurality of electrical
conductors and at least said transmit and receive optical fibers,
wherein first ends of the electrical conductors are in contact with
respective electrical contacts disposed on the front portion of the
plug housing.
32. The system of claim 31, wherein said plurality of electrical
conductors include at least eight electrical conductors.
33. The system of claim 28, wherein the modular connector assembly
is an eight position, eight contact (8P8C) modular connector
assembly.
34. The system of claim 28, further comprising an EO and OE (EO/OE)
conversion module secured to a surface of the system circuit board,
the EO/OE conversion module being electrically connected to the
first controller IC and optically coupled to the jack.
35. The system of claim 28, further comprising an EO conversion
module and an OE conversion module secured to the back portion of
the jack housing, the EO and OE conversion modules being
electrically connected to the first controller IC.
36. The system of claim 28, further comprising an EO and OE (EO/OE)
conversion module secured to the back portion of the jack housing,
the EO/OE conversion module being electrically connected to the
first controller IC.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to modular connector assemblies of the
type that comply with registered jack-45 (RJ-45) wiring standards.
More particularly, the invention is directed to a modular connector
assembly having both an electrical coupling configuration that
complies with the RJ-45 wiring standard and an optical coupling
configuration that provides the assembly with optical
communications capabilities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A variety of modular connector assemblies are used to
electrically couple electrical signals between the ends of
electrical conductors contained in electrical cables and electrical
contacts of electrical circuitry of terminal equipment connected to
the ends of the cables. A modular connector assembly has a plug
that terminates the end of the electrical cable and a jack that
mates with the plug. The exterior surface of the plug and the
interior surface of the jack have mating features located on them
that mate with each other to removably interlock the plug inside of
the jack. When the plug is interlocked in a mating relationship
with the jack, respective electrical contacts of the plug are in
contact with respective electrical contacts of the jack. The
electrical contacts of the plug are electrically coupled with the
ends of respective electrical conductors of the cable. Similarly,
the electrical contacts of the jack are electrically coupled with
respective electrical contacts of electrical circuitry of the
terminal equipment. Through all of these electrical connections,
electrical signals being carried on the electrical conductors of
the cable are electrically coupled to the electrical circuitry of
the terminal equipment, and vice versa.
[0003] One type of modular connector assembly that is well known in
the communications industry is an eight position, eight contact
(8P8C) modular connector assembly. The 8P8C modular connector
assembly is often used with twisted copper pairs to communicate
electrical data signals over Ethernet-based communications
networks. In Ethernet-based communications networks, the electrical
contacts and other circuitry of the 8P8C connector assembly are
configured to comply with the RJ-45 wiring standards, which are
called the T-568A and T-568B wiring standards. Because these types
of modular connector assemblies are made to comply with the RJ-45
wiring standards when they are manufactured for use in
Ethernet-based communications networks, they are often referred to
as RJ-45 connectors.
[0004] Ethernet-based communications networks currently have the
capability of carrying electrical data signals at data rates in
excess of 1 gigabits per second (Gb/s). Although optical
communications links are currently capable of operating at date
rates of 10 Gb/s over distances of up to about 100 meters (m), the
use of such optical links generally has not spread into areas
occupied by high-speed Ethernet-based networks. One reason that the
use of optical links has not spread into this space is that the
costs of manufacturing pluggable optical modular connector
assemblies that can operate at these data rates are much higher
than the costs of manufacturing 8P8C modular connector assemblies
that operate at these data rates. Another reason that the use of
optical links has not spread into this space is that there are
currently no optical solutions that have backwards compatibility to
the existing electrical Ethernet solutions. Although it is possible
to design electrical connections that operate at data rates higher
than 1 Gb/s using 8P8C modular connectors that implement the RJ-45
wiring standard, such connections would consume much more power
than optical connections operating at the same data rate. In
addition, the complexity of the design for such high data rate
electrical connections would result in the connections being
significantly more expensive than those that operate at 1 Gb/s.
Furthermore, a new cabling scheme with higher costs would be
required to propagate the data signals at data rates higher than 1
Gb/s over distances of about 100 meters (m).
[0005] There are currently a large number of servers and other
equipment that have 8P8C modular connectors that have electrical
contacts and circuitry configured in accordance with the RJ-45
standard. It would be desirable to provide a modular connector
assembly that provides both optical and electrical communications
capabilities and that is backwards compatible with existing 8P8C
modular connector assemblies that implement RJ-45 wiring
standards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The invention is directed to a jack, a plug, a modular
connector assembly that comprises the jack and plug, and a system
that incorporates the modular connector assembly. The jack
comprises a jack housing having a front portion, a back portion, an
optical interface formed in the back portion, and an electrical
contact configuration. The front portion has a plug opening formed
therein that is configured to receive a plug. The optical interface
is configured to optically couple with one or more modules that
perform optical-to-electrical (OE) conversion and
electrical-to-optical (EO) conversion. The electrical contact
configuration complies with a registered jack (RJ)-45 wiring
standard.
[0007] The plug comprises a plug housing that includes a front
portion having an optical interface formed therein, a back portion
for receiving an end of a cable, a latch mechanism, a wire and
optical fiber (WOF) guide device, and an electrical contact
configuration. A plurality of electrical contacts are disposed on
the front portion of the plug housing. The optical interface
includes at least first and second openings formed in the front
portion that are configured to couple with ends of a receive
optical fiber and a transmit optical fiber, respectively. The plug
housing is configured to mate with a plug opening formed in a jack.
The latch mechanism is disposed on an upper side of the plug
housing. The latch mechanism has at least one locking feature
thereon for mating with one or more locking features of a jack. The
WOF guide device positions eight position, eight contact (8P8C)
copper wires and transmit and receive optical fibers in proper
locations prior to insertion into the plug housing into a jack. The
WOF guide device also allows field termination of the hybrid cable
as commonly practiced for standard electrical cables. The
electrical contact configuration of the plug complies with an RJ-45
wiring standard.
[0008] The system is capable of performing optical communications
or electrical communications over a communications link. The system
comprises a system circuit board, at least a first controller
integrated circuit (IC) mounted on a surface of the system circuit
board, and a modular connector assembly. The system circuit board
is located at a proximal end of the communications link. The system
circuit board has a plurality of electrical contacts thereon and a
plurality of electrically conductive traces routed therethrough.
The first controller IC is mounted on a surface of the system
circuit board. The first controller IC is configured to
auto-negotiate with one or more controller ICs located at one or
more distal ends of the communications link to determine whether an
optical mode of communications or an electrical mode of
communications is to be performed over the communications link. The
modular connector assembly is mounted on a surface of the system
circuit board and comprises a jack having both electrical and
optical communications configurations and a plug configured to be
removably connected to the jack. The plug has both optical and
electrical communications configurations.
[0009] These and other features and advantages of the invention
will become apparent from the following description, drawings and
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrates, respectively, perspective top right
front, top left front and bottom right front views of the plug 1 of
the modular connector assembly in accordance with an illustrative
embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of the jack of
the modular connector assembly that mates with the plug shown in
FIGS. 1A-1C in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a back perspective view of the jack shown
in FIG. 2 having the cover attached thereto with the door in the
opened position to reveal locations in the cover at which the OE
and EO conversion modules will be installed.
[0013] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate front and back perspective views,
respectively, of the EO and OE conversion modules that attach to
the cover shown in FIG. 3.
[0014] FIG. 5 illustrates a back perspective view of the jack shown
in FIG. 2 after the OE and EO conversion modules shown in FIGS. 4A
and 4B have been installed in the back of the jack, but prior to
the door being closed.
[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates a front perspective view of the jack
after the OE and EO conversion modules have been installed in the
back of the jack and the door has been closed.
[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the modular
connector assembly of the invention comprising the plug shown in
FIGS. 1A-1C and the jack shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6.
[0017] FIG. 8 illustrates a cutaway view of the assembly shown in
FIG. 7 with a portion of the jack removed to show the manner in
which the plug shown in FIGS. 1A-1C is removably secured to the
jack.
[0018] FIG. 9 illustrates a cutaway view of the jack shown in FIG.
2 with the plug shown in FIGS. 1A-1C removed to allow the locking
features of the jack to be seen.
[0019] FIG. 10A illustrates a cutaway view of the modular connector
assembly shown in FIG. 7 with the plug shown in FIGS. 1A-1C
interlocked with the jack in the aforementioned first interlocking
position for electrical Ethernet communications.
[0020] FIG. 10B illustrates a cutaway view of the modular connector
assembly shown in FIG. 7 with the plug shown in FIGS. 1A-1C
interlocked with the jack shown in FIG. 2 in the aforementioned
second interlocking position for optical communications.
[0021] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the wire guide
device of the plug shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B.
[0022] FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of the system PCB shown
in FIGS. 7 and 8 having the modular connector assembly shown in
FIG. 7 and additional components mounted thereon in accordance with
one illustrative embodiment.
[0023] FIG. 13 illustrates a block diagram of the system PCB shown
in FIGS. 7 and 8 having the modular connector assembly shown in
FIG. 7 and additional components mounted thereon in accordance with
another illustrative embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
[0024] The invention is directed to a modular connector assembly
having both an electrical coupling configuration that complies with
the RJ-45 wiring standard and an optical coupling configuration
that provides the assembly with optical communications
capabilities. In addition, the modular connector assembly is
configured to have backwards compatibility with existing 8P8C jacks
and plugs that implement the RJ-45 wiring standard. Consequently,
the modular connector assembly may be used to communicate optical
data signals at higher data rates (e.g., 10 Gb/s and higher) using
the jack and plug of the invention or to communicate electrical
data signals at lower data rates (e.g., 1 Gb/s) using the known
8P8C jack and plug.
[0025] The term "backwards compatibility", as that term is used
herein, is intended to mean that the jack and plug of the modular
connector assembly can be mated with a jack and plug, respectively,
of a typical 8P8C modular connector having typical RJ-45 wiring
configurations. Thus, if a typical 8P8C plug having a typical RJ-45
wiring configuration is mated with the jack of the invention, the
modular connector assembly will operate as a typical 8P8C modular
connector assembly. Similarly, if the plug of the invention is
mated with a jack of a typical 8P8C modular connector assembly, the
8P8C modular connector assembly will operate in the typical
manner.
[0026] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate, respectively, perspective top right
front, top left front and bottom right front views of the plug 1 of
the modular connector assembly in accordance with an illustrative
embodiment. The plug 1 is similar in many respects to a typical
8P8C plug used for Ethernet communications in that the plug 1
includes electrical wiring that complies with one of the RJ-45
wiring standards, i.e., either the T-568A or T-568B wiring
standard. The plug 1 has a plug housing 2, a latch mechanism 3
formed on a top portion of the plug housing 2, an optical interface
comprising openings 10a and 10b formed in a front portion of the
plug housing 2, and a plurality of insulation displacement contacts
4 disposed on a bottom portion of the plug 1. The latch mechanism 3
has a locking feature 3a thereon that engages a locking feature of
the jack when the plug 1 is mated with a jack, as will be described
below in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7-10B. As with a
typical 8P8C modular connector assembly plug, the insulation
displacement contacts 4 pierce the insulating jackets of twisted
copper pair wires of a cable (not shown for purposes of clarity)
when the plug 1 is installed on the end of the cable. The cable
that is used with the plug 1 will typically be a Category 5 (CAT 5)
or a Category 6 (CAT 6) cable as defined by the Electronic
Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry Association
(EIA/TIA), an optical fiber cable, or a hybrid cable. The CAT 5 and
CAT 6 cables are electrical Ethernet cables. There are a variety of
optical fiber cables used in the industry today, but the optical
fiber cable that may be terminated with the plug 1 will typically
be a rounded cable having a transmit optical fiber, a receive
optical fiber a strength membrane, and protective jacket. It should
be noted, however, that the invention is not limited with respect
to the type of cable that is used with the plug 1.
[0027] In accordance with an embodiment, a hybrid cable that may be
terminated by the plug 1 is a cable that includes electrical wires
similar or identical to those contained in, for example, a CAT 5,
CAT 5e, CAT 6a, or CAT 7 cable, and that also includes a transmit
optical fiber and a receive optical fiber. Such a hybrid cable
provides the option of communicating with either electrical
Ethernet data signals or optical data signals. The hybrid cable
typically comprises eight insulated copper wires, at least one
transmit optical fiber, at least one receive optical fiber, and a
cable jacket. If the cable is one of the aforementioned known
cables, such as a CAT 5, CAT 5e, CAT 6a, or CAT 7 cable, the
transmit and receive optical fibers may be embedded within the main
cable jacket or they may be external to the main cable jacket and
embedded in one or more optical fiber cable jackets. In the latter
case, the two cable jackets may be attached to one another by some
suitable attachment mechanism. At the end of the cable that
attaches to the plug 1, the loose ends of the insulated copper
wires can be stripped of their insulation and inserted into a wire
and optical fiber (WOF) guide device (not shown for purposes of
clarity) of the plug 1 in accordance with the RJ-45 wiring
standard, as will be described below in more detail with reference
to FIG. 11. The loose ends of the optical fibers can be stripped of
their protection jackets and buffers and polished, as is commonly
performed for fiber termination. The polished ends would then be
inserted into respective ferrules (not shown for purposes of
clarity) that are then guided through the aforementioned WOF guide
device such that the ferrules are disposed within the respective
openings 10a and 10b that provide the optical interface of the plug
1, as will be described below with reference to FIG. 11.
[0028] The openings 10a and 10b are disposed adjacent the right and
left sides of the plug 1 in a proximal end face 8 of the plug 1. As
will be described below in more detail below with reference to
FIGS. 8-10B, ferrule-type elements (not shown for purposes of
clarity) of optical-to-electrical (OE) and electrical-to-optical
(EO) conversion modules (not shown for purposes of clarity) are
partially received in the openings 10a and 10b, respectively.
Inside of the respective openings 10a and 10b, the ends of the
ferrule-type devices abut respective optics systems (not shown for
purposes of clarity) of the plug 1, which, in turn, are optically
coupled with the respective ends of a receive optical fiber and a
transmit optical fiber, as will be described below in more detail
with reference to FIGS. 10B and 11. This optical arrangement
provides an optical coupling interface for optically coupling light
between the OE and EO conversion modules and the receive and
transmit optical fibers, respectively.
[0029] The plug housing 2 has a tiered surface 11 formed in the
front portion of the plug housing 2 adjacent the proximal end face
8. The tiered surface comprises an upper tier surface 11a and a
lower tier surface 11b such that a first distance, D1, between a
lower surface 2a of the plug housing 2 and the upper tier surface
11a is greater than a second distance, D2, between the lower
surface 2a of the plug housing 2 and the lower tier surface 11b.
This difference between the first and second distances D1 and D2
operates in conjunction with the locking feature 3a formed on the
latch mechanism 3 and in conjunction with complimentary features
formed in the jack (not shown for purposes of clarity) to allow the
plug 1 to be interlocked with the jack in either a first or a
second interlocking position, as will be described below in detail
with reference to FIG. 8-10B. Although the tiered surface 11 is not
required, it provides one of many possible solutions for providing
the plug 1 with both electrical and optical capabilities while also
enhancing the versatility of the plug 1. In addition, providing
these two different interlocking positions is one way in which the
system in which the modular connector assembly is used to
automatically differentiate between when it is operating in the
electrical Ethernet mode and when it is operating in the optical
mode. In addition, because the jack has features that are
complimentary to the tiered surface 11, existing 8P8C plugs that
are configured to comply with the RJ-45 wiring standard may be
interlocked inside of the jack in the normal manner. These features
are described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6-8.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a front perspective view of the jack 20
of the modular connector assembly that mates with the plug 1 shown
in FIGS. 1A-1C in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. The
jack 20 has a jack housing 22 that has a front opening 23 formed
therein. The front opening 23 is configured to receive an 8P8C plug
such as the plug 1 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C or a convention 8P8C plug
(not shown for purposes of clarity). A plurality (e.g., eight) of
electrical contacts 24 are disposed inside of the opening 23 for
making contact with respective insulation displacement contacts 4
shown in FIGS. 1A-1C when the plug is locked inside of the jack 20.
The electrical contacts 24 are electrically coupled to other
electrical circuitry (not shown for purposes of clarity) external
to the jack 20. The jack housing 22 has a back cover 25 secured to
a back portion of the jack housing 22. The back cover 25 has a door
26 that is in a hinging relationship with the cover 25. The cover
25 has openings 27 formed therein through which the aforementioned
ferrule-type elements (not shown for purposes of clarity) of the OE
and EO conversion modules (not shown for purposes of clarity)
extend when the OE and EO conversion modules are installed in the
jack housing 22, as will be described below in more detail with
reference to FIGS. 3-5. Alternatively, in an embodiment in which
the OE and EO conversion module or modules are installed on an
external circuit board (not shown for purposes of clarity) on which
the jack housing 22 resides, respective ends of respective optical
fibers extend into the respective openings 27 to optically couple
the external EO and OE conversion module(s) to the jack 20, as will
be described below in more detail with reference to FIG. 13.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates a back perspective view of the jack 20
shown in FIG. 2 having the cover 25 attached thereto with the door
26 in the opened position to reveal locations in the cover 25 at
which the OE and EO conversion modules (not shown for purposes of
clarity) will be installed. FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate front and
back perspective views, respectively, of the EO or the OE
conversion module 30. In accordance with this illustrative
embodiment, the OE and EO conversion modules 30 are formed on
separate substrates. It should be noted, however, that the OE and
the EO conversion modules 30 could be integrated on the same
substrate. For ease of illustration and in the interest of brevity,
the latter approach is not shown in the drawings because its
appearance is very similar to that of the EO or OE conversion
module 30 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
[0032] The EO conversion module 30 includes a substrate 30a and an
EO module housing 30b. The EO module housing 30b includes the
aforementioned ferrule-type element, which is identified in FIGS.
4A and 4B by reference numeral 30b'. The ferrule-type element 30b'
has an optics system (e.g., a lens) 30b'' disposed therein. Inside
of the EO module housing 30b, an EO conversion device, which is
typically a laser diode (not shown for purposes of clarity), and a
corresponding laser diode driver integrated circuit (IC) (not shown
for purposes of clarity) are mounted on and electrically coupled to
the substrate 30a. Electrical contacts 30c disposed on the PCB 30a
come into contact with respective electrical contacts 28 (FIG. 3)
disposed on the back cover 25 when the EO conversion module 30 is
installed in the back cover 25 of the jack 20. The electrical
contacts 28 are electrically coupled by other electrical conductors
(not shown for purposes of clarity) to electrical circuitry that is
external to the jack 20, as will be described below in more detail
with reference to FIG. 12. Alternatively, the EO and OE conversion
modules, or a combined EO/OE conversion module could be mounted on
an external system board on which the jack housing 22 resides, in
which case a ferule-type element similar or identical to the
ferrule-type elements 30b' has a fiber end attached to it such that
a fiber pigtail disposed on the opposite end of the fiber extends
from the EO/OE conversion module into hole 27, as will be described
below in more detail with reference to FIG. 13. In such an
alternative implementation, the electrical contacts 28 and 29
disposed on the jack housing are unnecessary.
[0033] The OE conversion module (not shown for purposes of clarity)
is identical in construction to the EO conversion module 30 shown
in FIGS. 4A and 4B with the exception that instead of a laser diode
and drive IC, the OE conversion module has an OE conversion device,
which is typically a P-I-N photodiode (not shown for purposes of
clarity), and a receiver IC (not shown for purposes of clarity).
The visible components of the OE conversion module will be
described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. Although they are not
visible in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the P-I-N photodiode and the receiver
IC are mounted on and electrically coupled to the substrate
30a.
[0034] When an optical cable or hybrid cable is terminated by the
plug 1 shown in FIG. 1, light generated by the laser diode is
coupled via the optics system 30b'' into an end of a transmit
optical fiber (not shown for purposes of clarity) of the cable.
Conversely, light passing out of the end of a receive optical fiber
of the cable is coupled via the optics system 30b''onto the P-I-N
photodiode, which converts the light into electrical signals. The
electrical signals are then electrically coupled via the electrical
contacts 29 (FIG. 3) disposed on the back cover 25 to electrical
circuitry that is external to the jack 20, as will be described
below in more detail with reference to FIG. 12. As indicated above,
instead of the OE and the EO conversion modules residing on two
separate substrates as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the laser diode,
the P-I-N photodiode, the laser diode driver IC, and the receiver
IC may be integrated on a single substrate. Alternatively, the
laser driver and the receiver may be integrated into the same IC,
which would then be integrated onto a single substrate on which the
ferule-type elements 30b'and optics systems 30b'' are also
integrated on the substrate. In the latter case, the optics systems
30b'' may be housed in the same module housing 30b or in separate
module housings and the ferule-type elements 30b' may be part of
the same module housing or parts of separate module housings.
[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates a back perspective view of the jack 20
shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 after the OE and EO conversion modules 30
have been installed in the back of the jack 20, but prior to the
door 26 being closed. FIG. 6 illustrates a front perspective view
of the jack 20 shown in FIG. 5 after the OE and EO conversion
modules 30 have been installed in the back of the jack 20 and the
door 26 has been closed. The end of one of the ferrule-type
elements 30b' can be seen positioned within one of the openings 27
formed in the back cover 25. The locations in the cover 25 at which
the EO and OE conversion modules 30 are secured to the cover 25 are
shown in FIG. 3 as cutaway regions where respective rectangular
portions of the cover 25 have been removed to accommodate the
shapes of the module housing 30b and the substrate 30a. The
invention is not limited with respect to the manner in which the EO
and OE conversion modules 30 or the cover 25 are shaped or with
respect to the manner in which the modules 30 attach to the cover
25. For example, the entire module housing 30b may extend through
the cover 25 into the front opening 23, as will be described below
with reference to FIGS. 9-10B, or, alternatively, only the
ferule-type elements 30b' may extend through the cover 25 into the
front opening 23, as shown FIG. 6.
[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the modular
connector assembly 40 of the invention comprising the plug 1 shown
in FIGS. 1A-1C and the jack 20 shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6
mounted on a system printed circuit board (PCB) 42. In FIG. 7, the
plug 1 and the jack 20 are shown interlocked. FIG. 8 illustrates a
cutaway view of the assembly 40 shown in FIG. 7 with a portion of
the jack 20 removed to show the manner in which the plug 1 is
removably secured to the jack 20. FIG. 9 illustrates a cutaway view
of the jack 20 with the plug 1 removed to reveal locking features
45 and 46 of the jack 20. One of the locking features 45 and 46 of
the jack 20 engages the locking feature 3a of the latch mechanism 3
when the plug 1 is inserted into the opening 23 formed in the front
of the jack 20. FIG. 10A illustrates a cutaway view of a modular
connector assembly comprising the jack 20 shown in FIG. 2 and a
standard electrical-only RJ-45 plug 37 interlocked with the jack 20
in the aforementioned first interlocking position for electrical
Ethernet communications. FIG. 10B illustrates a cutaway view of the
modular connector assembly 40 shown in FIG. 7 with the plug 1 shown
in FIGS. 1A-1C interlocked with the jack 20 in the aforementioned
second interlocking position for either optical communications or
Ethernet electrical communications as dictated by the Ethernet
Controller and Physical Layer IC shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, as will
be described below in detail. The manner in which the plug 1 and
the jack 20 are interlocked with each other will now be described
with reference to FIGS. 7-10B.
[0037] As can be seen in FIG. 9, there are first and second locking
features 45 and 46 inside of the opening 23 formed in the front
portion of the jack 20. The first and second locking features 45
and 46 are first and second openings, respectively, formed in an
upper portion of the jack 20. The first and second locking features
45 and 46 have shapes that are complementary to the shape of the
locking feature 3a of the latch mechanism 3. When the plug 1 shown
in FIGS. 1A-1C is inserted into the opening 23 formed in the front
of the jack 20, one of the locking features 45 and 46 of the jack
20 engages the locking feature 3a of the latch mechanism 3,
depending on how far the plug 1 is inserted into the jack 20 in the
direction represented by arrow 47 in FIG. 7. Depressing the latch
mechanism 3 in the downward direction toward the system PCB 42
unlocks the latch mechanism 3 to allow it to be removed from the
jack 20. If the plug 1 is inserted into the jack 20 far enough for
the locking feature 3a on the latch mechanism 3 of the plug 1 to be
received in locking feature 45, the plug 1 will be interlocked with
the jack 20 in the aforementioned first interlocking position. If
the plug 1 is inserted into the jack 20 far enough for the locking
feature 3a of the latch mechanism 3 of the plug 1 to be received in
locking feature 46, the plug 1 will be interlocked with the jack 20
in the aforementioned second interlocking position. FIGS. 10A and
10B show the standard electrical-only plug 37 and the plug 1 of
FIGS. 1A-1C, respectively, in the first and second interlocking
positions, respectively, inside of the jack 20.
[0038] Electrical contacts 48 on the underside of the jack 20 are
in contact with electrical contacts (not shown for purposes of
clarity) on the system PCB 42. The electrical contacts 48 are
distal ends of the electrical contacts 24 disposed in the opening
23 of the jack 20 shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. In the first interlocking
position shown in FIG. 10A, the insulation displacement contacts of
the standard electrical-only plug, which are similar or identical
to the insulation displacement contacts 4 of the plug 1 shown in
FIGS. 1A-1C, are electrically coupled via the electrical contacts
24 (FIG. 6) of the jack 20 to the electrical contacts (not shown
for purposes of clarity) located on the system PCB 42 beneath the
jack 20. This electrical coupling configuration that exists in the
first interlocking position enables electrical Ethernet
communications to be performed. In the second interlocking position
shown in FIG. 10B, optical interfaces are created between the
optics systems 30b'' of the ferrule-type elements 30b' (FIGS. 4A
and 4B) of the OE and EO conversion modules 30 and the ends of the
receive and transmit optical fibers, respectively, (not shown for
purposes of clarity). As mentioned above, a WOF guide device 60
(FIG. 10B) secured within the plug housing 2 functions as a
mechanical guide for mechanically guiding electrical wires of a
hybrid cable (not shown for purposes of clarity) and the ferrules
on the ends of the optical fibers of the hybrid cable (not shown
for purposes of clarity) within the openings 10a and 10b formed in
the plug housing 2, as will be described below in more detail with
reference to FIG. 11. In the second interlocking position shown in
FIG. 10B, the tiered surface 11 of the plug 1 (FIGS. 1A-1C) abuts a
complementarily-shaped surface 49 (FIG. 9) formed in an upper
portion the jack 20 to stop the forward movement of the plug 1
within the jack opening 23. The optical coupling configuration that
exists in the second interlocking position enables optical
communications to be performed in addition to, or in lieu of, the
electrical communication provided through contacts 48 to the system
board 42. As will be described below in more detail with reference
to FIG. 12, other components that communicate with the OE and EO
conversion modules 30 and/or with the RJ-45 wiring of the jack 20
are mounted on the system PCB 42 and electrically connected via
conductors of the system PCB 42 to the electrical contacts 48 of
the jack 20.
[0039] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the WOF guide
device 60 shown in FIG. 10B. When the WOF guide device 60 is
installed inside of the plug housing 2, locking features 61 on the
sides of the guide device 60 are received in openings (not shown
for purposes of clarity) formed in the plug housing 2 to interlock
the WOF guide device 60 with the plug housing 2. The WOF guide
device 60 has openings 63a and 63b formed therein in which ferrules
64 and 65 are disposed, respectively. Each of the ferrules 64 and
65 has a compression spring 66 and 67, respectively, disposed
thereon that has a diameter that is slightly larger than the
diameter of the respective openings 63a and 63b. Each ferrule 64
and 65 has a flange portion 64a and 65a, respectively, having an
outer diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of the
ferrules 64 and 65, respectively, and that is about the same size
as the outer diameter of the compression springs 66 and 67,
respectively. The ferrules 64 and 65 have inner diameters 64b and
65b, respectively, that are about the same size as the outer
diameters of receive and transmit optical fiber (not shown for
purposes of clarity). When the receive and transmit optical fibers
are guided inside of the respective ferrules 64 and 65, the ends of
the respective fibers abut respective lenses 64c and 65c formed
inside of the respective ferrules 64 and 65.
[0040] With reference to FIGS. 1A, 4A, 9, 10B, and 11, when the
plug 1 is inserted into the opening 23 formed in the jack 20 and
interlocked with the jack 20 in the aforementioned second
interlocking position, respective ends 64d and 65d of the
respective ferrules 64 and 65 are received inside of the respective
ends of the ferrule-type elements 30b' of the respective OE and EO
conversion modules 30 such that the respective ends 64d and 65d
interface with the respective optics systems 30b'' of the
respective ferrule-type elements 30b'. As the plug 1 is inserted
into the opening 23 formed in the jack 20 and the respective ends
64d and 65d of the ferrules 64 and 65 come into contact with the
respective optics systems 30b'', the force in the direction of
insertion of the plug 1 causes the ferrules 64 and 65 to retract
into the openings 63a and 63b, respectively, formed in the WOF
guide device 60. Once the locking feature 3a of the latch mechanism
3 of the plug 1 interlocks with the locking feature 46 formed on
the jack housing 22, retraction of the ferrules 64 and 65 ceases.
The compression springs 66 and 67 exert forces that maintain the
ends 64d and 65d in abutment with the respective optics systems
30b'. The resulting coupling of optical signals between the ends
64d and 65d of the respective ferrules 64 and 65 and the respective
optics systems 30b'' occurs with very little, if any, optical
loss.
[0041] FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of the system PCB 42
shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 having the modular connector assembly 40 and
additional components mounted thereon. In the illustrative
embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-11, the OE
and EO conversion modules 30, which are labeled with reference
numerals 30' and 30'' in FIG. 12, are integrated into the jack 20.
When the OE and EO conversion modules 30' and 30'' are installed in
the jack 20 in the manner described above with reference to FIG. 5,
the electrical contacts 30c (FIG. 4A) of the modules 30' and 30''
are in contact with the respective electrical contacts 28 and 29 of
the cover 25 (FIG. 3), which are, in turn, in contact with
respective electrical connections (not shown for purposes of
clarity) disposed on the system PCB 42 (FIGS. 7 and 8). With
reference to FIG. 12, electrical traces 71a and 71b electrically
couple the OE and EO conversion modules 30' and 30'' to an Ethernet
Controller and Physical Layer (ECPL) IC 80. Electrical trace group
73a and 73b carry electrical Ethernet signals to and from the
electrical contacts 48 of the jack 20 to and from the ECPL IC 80.
As will be described below in more detail, the EPCL IC 80 has the
capability of performing auto-negotiation with a corresponding IC
(not shown for purposes of clarity) located at the end of the link
opposite the end of the link to which the modular connector
assembly 40 is installed in order to choose whether to carry out
electrical or optical communications.
[0042] When optical signals are to be transmitted from the system
PCB 42 over the cable 72, which is either an optical cable or a
hybrid cable, electrical signals are transmitted from the EPLC IC
80 over the electrically conductive traces 71a to the EO conversion
module 30'. The EO conversion module 30' converts the electrical
signals into optical signals and couples the optical signals into
an end of a transmit optical fiber (not shown for purposes of
clarity) of the cable 72. When optical signals received over a
receive optical fiber (not shown for purposes of clarity) of the
cable 72 are coupled from the end of the receive optical fiber into
the OE conversion module 30'', the OE conversion module 30''
converts the optical signals into electrical signals and couples
the electrical signals onto the electrically conductive traces 71b
for transmission to the EPLC IC 80. The EPLC IC 80 communicates via
electrically conductive traces 92 with the system controller IC
100.
[0043] When electrical Ethernet signals are to be transmitted from
the system PCB 42 over the cable 72, which is either an Ethernet
cable or a hybrid cable, electrical signals are transmitted from
the EPLC IC 80 over the electrically conductive traces 73a to RJ-45
electrical circuitry (not shown for purposes of clarity) within the
jack 20 and plug 1. The electrical signals are then electrically
coupled from the RJ-45 electrical circuitry within the jack 20 and
plug 1 onto one or more electrical wires of the cable 72. When
electrical Ethernet signals are received over one or more
electrical wires of the cable 72, the electrical signals are
coupled via the RJ-45 electrical circuitry of the plug 1 and jack
20 from the ends of the electrical wires of the cable 72 onto the
electrically conductive traces 73b, which carry the electrical
signals to the EPLC IC 80.
[0044] As an alternative to the illustrative embodiment described
above with reference to FIG. 12, the OE/EO conversion modules may
be external to the jack 20 and mounted on the system PCB 42, as
will now be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13
illustrates a block diagram of the system PCB 42 having the modular
connector assembly 40 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and additional
components mounted thereon, including an EO and OE (EO/OE)
conversion module 110. In accordance with this embodiment, the
EO/OE conversion module 110 is external to the jack 20. The jack 20
may be identical to the jack shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 except that
the OE and EO conversion modules 30 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B have
been removed from the jack 20. Two optical fibers 94a and 94b
optically couple the EO/OE conversion module 110 to the jack 20.
The ends of the optical fibers 94a and 94b that are to be inserted
into the jack 20 may have ferrules on them that are similar or
identical to the ferrules 64 and 65 shown in FIG. 11 or to the
ferrule-type elements 30b' shown in FIG. 9. These ends having the
ferrules or ferrule-type elements on them are inserted into the
back of jack 20 through the holes 27 shown in FIG. 3. The ports of
the EO/OE conversion module 110 may have ferrule-type elements that
are similar to the ferrule-type elements 30b' shown in FIG. 9.
[0045] When optical signals are to be transmitted from the system
PCB 42 over the cable 72, electrical signals are transmitted from
the EPLC IC 80 over the electrically conductive trace 93a to the
EO/OE conversion module 110. The EO/OE conversion module 110
converts the electrical signals into optical signals and couples
the optical signals into the end of the optical fiber 94a connected
thereto. The optical signals carried on the optical fiber 94a are
optically coupled via a lens element 95a into an end of a transmit
optical fiber (not shown for purposes of clarity) of the cable 72.
When optical signals are received in the jack 20 over a receive
optical fiber (not shown for purposes of clarity) of the cable 72,
the optical signals are coupled via lens element 95b into the end
of the optical fiber 95b connected thereto, which carries the
optical signals to the EO/OE conversion module 110. The optical
signals are optically coupled out of the opposite end of the
optical fiber 95b into the EO/OE conversion module 110, which
converts the optical signals into electrical signals. The
electrical signals are then communicated via electrically
conductive trace 93b to the EPLC controller IC 80.
[0046] When electrical Ethernet signals are to be transmitted from
the system PCB 42 over the cable 72, electrical signals are sent
from the EPLC IC 80 over the electrically conductive traces 73a to
the RJ-45 electrical circuitry (not shown for purposes of clarity)
within the jack 20 and plug 1. The electrical signals are then
electrically coupled from the RJ-45 electrical circuitry within the
jack 20 and plug 1 onto one or more electrical wires of the cable
72. When electrical Ethernet signals are received over one or more
electrical wires of the cable 72, the electrical Ethernet signals
are coupled via the RJ-45 electrical circuitry of the plug 1 and
jack 20 from the ends of the electrical wires of the cable 72 onto
the electrically conductive traces 73b, which carry the electrical
signals to the EPLC IC 80.
[0047] The manner in which the aforementioned auto-negotiation
process is performed will now be described. As indicated above, the
EPLC IC 80 automatically selects whether to use optical or
electrical communications. This can be achieved in a manner similar
to the auto-negotiation function defined in Clause 28 of, for
example, the 802.3a Ethernet standards, in which the data rate
capabilities of the Ethernet stations involved in the network are
made known and a fixed data rate is selected through the defined
exchange of electrical pulse sequences. In accordance with the
invention, the auto-negotiation process is carried out on the
electrical Ethernet path (1000 megabits per second (Mbps), or 10
Mbps, or 1 Mbps) to determine whether optical paths are shared
among the stations in the network and therefore to be activated as
the mode of communication; a specific value of the 7-bit field in
the auto-negotiation base page can be defined to indicate the
optical capability of a station configured similar to that depicted
in either of FIG. 12 or 13. With reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the
EPLC IC 80 performs the auto-negotiation process with one or more
similar or identical controller ICs located at one or more opposite
ends of the link to determine whether electrical or optical
communications are to be performed and then selects the appropriate
mode of operations. Typically, if the opposite end of the link is
configured to perform optical communications, the EPLC IC 80 will
select the optical mode of operations due to the fact that they can
be performed at a higher data rate; otherwise, the EPLC IC 80 will
select the electrical mode of operations.
[0048] As indicated above, the plug 1 and jack 20 are backwards
compatible with existing 8P8C modular connector assembly jacks and
plugs. In other words, the jack and plug of the modular connector
assembly can be mated with a jack and plug, respectively, of a
typical 8P8C modular connector having typical RJ-45 wiring
configurations. Thus, if a typical 8P8C plug having a typical RJ-45
wiring configuration is mated with the jack of the invention, the
modular connector assembly will operate as a typical 8P8C modular
connector assembly. Similarly, if the plug of the invention is
mated with a jack of a typical 8P8C modular connector assembly, the
8P8C modular connector assembly will operate in the typical manner.
If, however, an optical cable or hybrid cable plug having the
configuration shown in FIGS. 1A-1C is connected to a jack having
the configuration shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the resulting modular
connector assembly can be operated either in the optical mode or in
the electrical Ethernet mode, as described above with reference to
FIGS. 12 and 13. These features allow high-speed electrical or
optical operations to be performed and provide the modular
connector assembly with great versatility.
[0049] It should be noted that the invention has been described
with reference to a few illustrative, or exemplary, embodiments for
the purposes of demonstrating the principles and concepts of the
invention. It will be understood by persons skilled in the art, in
view of the description provided herein, that many modifications
may be made to the embodiments described herein without deviating
from the principles of the invention. For example, instead of
having first and second locking features 45 and 46 formed on the
jack housing 22 inside of the opening 23 and a single locking
feature 3a formed on the latch mechanism 3, a single locking
feature 45 or 46 may be formed on the jack housing 22 and multiple,
spaced apart locking features 3a may be formed on the latch
mechanism 3 of the plug 1. As will be understood by those skilled
in the art, all such modifications are within the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *